This week's episode finds the Ghost Hunters' TAPS team in their home state of Rhode Island in beautiful Belcourt Castle in Newport.

Billed as "personal" for Jason in the episode previews for the past week, we learn that the Ghost Hunters have in fact investigated Belcourt Castle in the past, having investigated the mansion 10 years ago.

During the tour of the sixty room 'summer cottage' that was built in 1894 we learn that not all the inhabitants of the cottage have actually left. There have been stories of several apparitions spotted throughout the castle, most notably, Jason's friend Mr. Tinney, a former owner of the property and a monk that seems to hang around a statue of all things, a monk.

The episode got off on the right foot once again with those ever popular ghostly footsteps once again taking center stage as Jason and Grant kick off the investigation. (That's two, two, two puns in one sentence! Boo Yeah!) This time however, there is a twist. The footprint of one of those footsteps is showing up with a heat signature on the thermal camera that Jason is wielding, and it's moving!

While I'm not a huge fan of that thermal camera as it kind of makes everything look like just one big blob, I'll give them the fact that this hit was pretty cool. You definitely could make out a heel-to-toe action on the colorful glob-like screen.

Moving into the Tinney's bedroom, Jason decides to just take one of the Ghost Hunters' rules of never investigating a haunt alone and toss it out the window. He sends Grant off downstairs so that he can have some alone time with whatever entity might be hanging around. Using the k2 meter, a plain little unit that we can only imagine how it works with a set of lights on it, Jason proceeds to tell the ghost that if he lights up the meter that he will leave. Right on cue the meter lights up and Jason, true to his word, picks up his toys and goes home.

Wait. He's there to investigate a haunting, he gets one hit and he leaves?

Now, I'm all for being true to your word. Honesty is the best policy and all that stuff, but come on! What's the ghost gonna do, get mad and pick up the nearest table lamp and whack Jason upside the head with it? Hey, wait. That would be so awesome. Heck, I'd pay to see that! But no. Jason just picks up his stuff, apologizes to the 'whatever' and leaves. Great stuff.

Perhaps the most notable scene in this investigation is once again thanks to Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, in the ballroom with the laser. Impressed with the huge crystal chandelier, Steve begins using his laser pointer to create a disco ball effect which sends Tango into a hilarious rendition of some really horrible 'bow-chicka-bow-bow music' followed by a quick dance under the light. Awesome.

The reveal on Belcourt Castle revealed little more than the globulous glowing footprint, one whispered word on the digital recorder and not a heck of a lot more, yet the guys do indeed deem the castle as having paranormal activity.

And we are on to the next.

The Ghost Hunters' next investigation takes place in Somerville, Mass at Sacco's Bowl Haven. Yes. A bowling alley and pool hall. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I've always suspected that off camera the guys would play with the various stuff in the home or business and I was really happy to see that in this episode they actually showed some of the fun.

Jason and Grant began the hunt in the billiard room by playing pool, in near total darkness, while challenging the ghosts to come out and play with them. When that didn't work they moved on to a string of bowling. Again, nothing.

Suffice it to say, the TAPS team was able to debunk every paranormal claim of the owners, with the segment ending with a statement from Grant that the owner seemed to appreciate all the hard work they put into debunking the site. Which, while true, still got a laugh out of me considering the majority of their debunking included shooting pool, bowling and doing their plumbing job and discovering that the 'odd breathing noise' was in fact a leaking toilet.

While I do love Ghost Hunters, they seriously have not been having much luck lately. How I long for the days of the St. Augustine lighthouse with it's shadowy, stair-climbing entity. Or Eastern State Penitentiary with its coat-grabbing guy or that shadowy cloaked figure. But I suppose it's a little hard to get ghosts to hit their cue and perform while the cameras are running. So, I'll continue to watch faithfully each week and hope for the best.

This week we didn't even get a peek at next week's episode and quick check of the Ghost Hunters' website didn't reveal any clues either. I did find something of interest however. It seems there will be a new Ghost Hunters team and, wait for it, YOU could be on it!

They are currently looking for members of the newest hunting crew, billed as "New Generation." From reading through the requirements, it seems they are looking for college students to fill out the cast on this new show, which leaves me out of it. Bummer. And the disappointments just multiply for me, but then again, this is the SciFi channel. Yes, the same channel that brought you 5 different StarGate teams (ok, so maybe only 3, but it's my blog!), so there may be hope yet.

So. Here's to hoping that the Hunters have better luck next week and that they come out with another new series called "Ghost Hunters: The Middle-Aged Snarky Women" team. I'd be the first one in line for that one!